Quick DIY: 15 Minute Home Improvements

Summer is almost over and a new season is coming! It’s the perfect time to take advantage of changing seasons and prep your home for autumn. The upcoming months are perfect for spending more time in the home due to the weather change and as the Christmas adverts start making their way on to our screens again.

Anglian have highlighted some tasks we love to avoid and showing the nation how quick and easy DIY can be! Here’s what we’re covering:Hanging a picture > Putting up curtain rails > Cleaning the windows > Sorting a squeaky door > Fitting a bathroom lock > Bleeding the radiators > Filling old picture holes > Painting a ceiling.

To help, we’re keeping things extra simple by highlighting the tasks you can get done in just fifteen minutes – that could be a little DIY in your tea break, a quick home improvement while your dinner cooks or even a short task during half time when watching the footy!

Hanging a picture

Liven-up your décor by hanging a few pictures around your home. You’ll need:

Measure the points at which you need to attach curtain rail brackets to your wall, and mark them with a pencil. Before you start to drill, make sure the brackets are evenly spaced, as well as checking there’s nothing beneath the wall that’ll cause damage, such as wires or pipes, with the detector. It’s also important to check that the brackets will be level, otherwise your rail won’t hang straight.

Once you’re ready, drill your holes and fit your rawl plugs. You can now attach the curtain rail brackets before adding the rail – simple!

Cleaning the windows

Giving your windows a spruce can bring in a fair bit more light – so why not try mixing your own cleaning solution for the glass? For this you’ll need:

• Half a pint of water
• About 80mls white vinegar
• A drop of washing up liquid
• Paper towels

Sort a squeaky door

A creaky internal door can be a real cause of irritation. To get it sorted in less than fifteen minutes, you’ll need:

• WD-40
• Kitchen roll

Spray on a little WD-40 the door’s hinges, using the kitchen roll to make sure it doesn’t drip down onto the carpet. As you spray, slowly keep the door moving so it covers all of the hinge – simple! Be sure to only use this technique on internal doors, as the finish of uPVC external doors can be susceptible to damage from the spray.

Fit a simple bathroom lock

Fitting a door bolt is all about measuring, so make sure you double check your handiwork before attaching any fittings. You’ll need:

• Door bolt
• Screws
• Drill

Place the door bolt against the door, drawing round the perimeter as well as where the screws need to go. Make sure it’s level and then drill a set of pilot holes where the screws will sit. Screw the bolt part to the door using the holes you’ve just made (if they’re straight, that is!).

Now you can line up the part of the bolt that sits on the door frame, drill your pilot holes as before and attach.

Bleeding the radiators

Now and again, air can get into your central heating system, making it less effective. One way to counter this is to bleed your radiators from time to time, and to do this you’ll need:

• Radiator bleeding key
• Towel

Find the bolt at the top corner of your radiator and use the key to gently unscrew it by a fraction of a turn. If there’s air in there, you’ll hear it come out, and if not, you’ll notice water coming out instead, so make sure you have the towel wrapped around the radiator to catch any spills.

Filling old picture holes

Small holes and dents in the wall can be unsightly, so spend ten minutes filling them in for a smooth finish next time you decorate. You’ll need:

• An appropriate wall filling product
• Cloth
• Spatula
• Sand paper

Apply a small amount of product to the spatula and carefully press it into the hole. Do this several times until it’s filled, before smoothing it over with the tool at hand. Use your cloth to clean the implement between uses. Once it’s dried, gently sand over the patch to ensure it’s smooth against the wall.

Painting a ceiling

Of course the time this takes depends on the size of your ceiling, but generally once the prep is done, the actual painting is a quick task. You’ll need:

• Long-handled paint roller
• Decorating cloths
• Paint

Make sure you cover everything that can’t be removed from the room in decorating cloths (including the floor!), and paint away. If you’re decorating the whole room, make the ceiling the first thing you paint in the room to avoid drips ruining your newly painted walls.

Now you’ve tried your hand at a few simple DIY tasks, we’d love to see your efforts! Head over to our Facebook page to tell us about your home improvement work.

As part of our DIY campaign, we’ve been sussing out which football teams are the laziest when it comes to home improvements – make sure you check back to find out who!

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Hi, my name is Louie, you'll find me writing about all sorts of home subjects from interior design and gadgets to quirky buildings and energy saving.
I try my hand at gardening and DIY, but I'm utterly useless, so if you have any advice or tips, get in touch!